Bikes & Gear

Evaluations & Recommendations

The Mighty Mini: Honda’s Dax 125

Posted by Rob Brooks | Jul 1, 2025 | Bikes & Gear | 0 |

Riding Honda’s 750 and 1000 Hornet

Posted by Rob Brooks | Jun 10, 2025 | Bikes & Gear | 2 |

The Mighty Mini: Honda’s Dax 125

by Rob Brooks | Jul 1, 2025 | Bikes & Gear | 0 |

With the rapidly growing popularity of small bore motorbikes these days, something we have documented frequently here at Road Dirt, Honda reached out and asked if we’d like to ride and review the 2025 Dax 125, otherwise known as the Trail 125. One look at the bike, it’s old school “t-bone” frame and design, and I had to ride one. It so recalled my cousin‘s old Trail 70, it made me think back and wish I had not been so easily deterred by that small pipe burn as a youngster.

Summer Tire Test 2025- Dunlop Roadsmart IV vs Bridgestone Battlax T33

by Ted Edwards | Jun 24, 2025 | Bikes & Gear, Nuts & Bolts | 0 |

However, while some of these claims are true, some are not. Our years of testing has shown that even in this age of technological advancement you can go wrong with your tire choice. Over the past three years and tens of thousands of miles of testing we have found differences both subtle and massive among the sport touring tires. Fellow tester and tire geek Dave Wensveen and I have seen it all from brilliant handling and amazing wet grip to tires that degrade after only 2,000 miles. There are brilliant tires out there, really good tires and absolutely bad tires. Road Dirt is here to help you make an informed choice.

Small Bore Mania 2025

by Mike Boyd | Jun 20, 2025 | Bikes & Gear, Rides & Roads | 0 |

I had the opportunity to attend this year’s Smoky Mountain Small Bore Rally again, and the weekend was truly bigger and better than ever. I am amazed every year at how much time, imagination, and of course money these folks devote to their passion for these small size and displacement motorcycles.

Helmet Review: HJC i31 Tevis

by Ken "Hawkeye" Glassman | Jun 16, 2025 | Bikes & Gear | 0 |

The new version is called the HJC i31 Tevis. I’ve always had a solid color helmet rather than one with wildly colored graphics, but this time I decided to go with some colors, which match those of my newly repainted Triumph America. I loved the way it looked, but the trouble began with the first time I put it on. Or more accurately, the first time I attempted to put it on.

Riding Honda’s 750 and 1000 Hornet

by Rob Brooks | Jun 10, 2025 | Bikes & Gear | 2 |

I’m riding a 2025 Honda CB750 Hornet on this our first of a two-day press demo of the new Hornet 750 and 1000 models, and the roar of this 755cc twin as I’m galloping through the swift traffic is fueling my thirst to pin the throttle. This engine is howling, daring me to pour more coal to the fire. I’m obliging, at least as much as I’m able in the fast, dense traffic. Soon, we catch the front group, traffic thins as we roll northeast past Roseville, and we settle into a nice 75 mph cadence heading for the hill country before us.

Motorcycle Gear: CoverSeal Weighted Cover

by Phil Gauthier | May 27, 2025 | Bikes & Gear | 0 |

We recently were contacted by CoverSeal, a company that manufactures heavy-duty weighted covers for automobiles, tractors, and outdoor appliances like large grills and patio furniture. They have now developed a weighted motorcycle cover, and asked if we’d be interested in receiving one for review. We obliged, and within a week had a large, heavy box delivered to our doorstep at Road Dirt HQ.

2025 Indian Scout 101 Ride & Review

by Christian Pierce | Mar 25, 2025 | Bikes & Gear | 0 |

While I may not have 101, there are plenty of reasons to love the 2025 Indian Scout 101. This new addition to the Scout lineup is a powerful mid-sized cruiser, with a low center of gravity, nimble steering, and an improved suspension system. That list alone makes this one of the best Scouts I’ve ever ridden, but add to that comfortable ergonomics, a user-friendly dash, and eye-catching paintwork, and the 2025 Indian Scout 101 is a cruiser I’d not only recommend, but I’d seriously consider purchasing myself. With that said, as a motorcycle journalist I try to maintain an impartial opinion of the bikes I review, but every so often a motorcycle comes along that really resonates with me. The Scout 101 is one of those motorcycles.

First Ride: 2025 Yamaha R9

by Ryan Nolan | Mar 19, 2025 | Bikes & Gear | 0 |

Fast forward a few months and I happily found myself packing my track gear and jumping on a plane for sunny Sonoma, California for the official Yamaha R9 press event at Sonoma Raceway. With such anticipation and hype around the bike over the years and having recently watched the bike debut in World Supersport with a win, I was extremely excited for the opportunity to be one of the first people stateside to throw a leg over the bike.

100 Miles on a Triumph Speed Twin 1200 RS

by Rob Brooks | Feb 13, 2025 | Bikes & Gear | 2 |

Triumph’s quintessential big Bonney is the epitome of classic Brit bike style, yet utilizing all the modern tech we’ve come to expect in our motorbikes- EFI, ABS, adjustable suspension, various ride modes, etc. The Street Twin 1200 rolls with upright ergos, solid shifting and braking, light and responsive handling, and that nostalgic Triumph vibe one can only experience on a Bonneville. I’m biased admittedly, owning a 2017 Bonney 900 myself, and having grown up around them with my Triumph-riding father back many moons ago. I love these motorcycles.